Expectations
“As we realize our need to be forgiven, we tend to be more forgiving.”
Basic Text, p.38
Our behavior toward other people in our life is a mirror of our behavior toward
ourselves. When we demand perfection of ourselves, we come to demand it from
others around us, too. As we strive to repair and heal our lives in recovery, we may
also expect others to work just as hard and to recover at the same pace as we do.
And just as we are often unforgiving of our own mistakes, we may shut out friends
and family members when they don’t meet our expectations.
Working the steps helps us understand our own limitations and our humanity. We
come to see our failures as human mistakes. We realize that we will never be
perfect, that we will, at times, disappoint ourselves and others. We hope for
forgiveness.
As we learn to gently accept ourselves, we can start to view others with the same
accepting and tolerant heart. These people, too, are only human, trying to do their
best and sometimes falling short.
Just for today: I will treat others with the tolerance and forgiveness I seek for
myself.